Player News

Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer off Mario Hollands in the ninth inning Tuesday as the Yankees came back to tie the Phillies 5-5.

The 6-foot-7 Judge, a 2013 first-round pick, rates as the Yankees' top position prospect with his big-time power potential. He's set to open this year in Double-A and he probably won't reach the majors before 2016, but he could start getting Yankees fans excited with a couple of more bombs this spring.

Adam Warren drew the start versus the Phillies on Tuesday and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

Warren isn't hopeless as a starter, but all indications are that he'll return to the pen this year and battle David Carpenter for seventh-inning duties. He had a 2.97 ERA in 78 2/3 innings as a reliever last season.

David Buchanan gave up a run and five hits over two innings in his start versus the Yankees on Tuesday.

A better first baseman than Ryan Howard might have had a chance at two of the hits that led to a run in the first. Much like the departed Kyle Kendrick, Buchanan will give up plenty of balls in play in front of a mediocre Phillies defense. He might be good enough to last in the rotation all season long, but it's unlikely he'll offer fantasy value at any point.

Yankees prospect Luis Torrens needs season-ending surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

Torrens missed the final two months of the 2014 season with a shoulder injury and an offseason of rehab didn't yield enough improvement. The 18-year-old catcher owns a .249/.338/.347 batting line in 109 professional games -- half of them in rookie ball. He's a decent prospect because of his defense, but the kid will now miss an entire spring and summer of potential offensive development.

Pedro Alvarez had a three-run homer and an RBI double as the Pirates held on to beat the Blue Jays 8-7 on Tuesday.

Alvarez went opposite field off Aaron Sanchez in the first. The double also dropped down the left field line. Dalton Pompey lost that one in the sun, though since he was shading Alvarez to pull, he might not have gotten to it anyway. Since he's set to be platooned, Alvarez's fantasy upside might not quite be what it once was. Still, he's a candidate for 30 homers anyway, and he should hit for a higher average since he won't start against lefties.

"By all accounts, he threw very well," manager Brad Ausmus told reporters after the workout. Soria did not exactly shine down the stretch last season for the Tigers, but he'll probably be the next man up for saves this year in Detroit if veteran closer Joe Nathan has more problems.

Aaron Sanchez gave up five runs -- two earned -- and four hits in 1 1/3 innings Tuesday in his start against the Pirates.

Pedro Alvarez hit a three-run homer off him after a tough error on Josh Donaldson in the first (it was a soft dribbler and not an easy play), leading to the unearned runs. The Blue Jays haven't yet committed to Sanchez as a starter or a reliever, and one bad outing won't factor into their thinking overly much. We're guessing he begins the year in the pen, perhaps in the closer's role.

Jung-Ho Kang homered off the Blue Jays' Marco Estrada in his second at-bat of the spring Tuesday.

The right-handed-hitting Kang took the ball out to right-center, showing some of the power than allowed him to hit 40 homers in Korea last year. He also grounded out and walked in the contest. The plan appears to be for him to open the season as a utilityman, but if he shows a potent bat all spring, it will be difficult to keep him out of the lineup.